Washington, Jan 4: Over 1,03,000 people with Covid-19 have been hospitalised in the United States, the first time the total number of cases has reached six figures in nearly four months.
Hospitalisations due to Covid-19 reached a record high of over 142,000 about a year ago, on January 14 last year. The total fell to about 45,000 hospitalisations in early November, but increased steadily since then, and surged last week.
On December 27, Department of Health and Human Services had reported 71,000 Covid-19 hospitalisations, CNN reported.
The US also reported a spike in the number of children hospitalised.
Admissions in paediatric hospitals had reached up to a record high last week, said the data published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The rise in hospitalisations comes amid a much larger surge in Covid-19 cases spurred by the Omicron variant.
“With so many cases, even if the rate of hospitalization is lower with Omicron than it is with Delta, there’s still the danger that you’re going to have a surging of hospitalisation that might stress the health care system,” Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Adviser, was quoted as saying by CNN.
James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital, said, “We are seeing a surge in patients again, unprecedented in this pandemic.”
“What’s coming for the rest of the country could be very serious. And they need to be prepared,” he added.
